Brad Marchand Is Not A Fan Of His Fellow Canadians Booing U.S. National Anthem

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Canadian sports fans have been booing the Star-Spangled Banner for weeks now at NHL and NBA games, but the booing of the U.S. national anthem caught major attention this past week during the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament.

Canadian fans booing the anthem is in reaction to President Donald Trump threatening tariffs against Canada, a country the President has also reportedly suggested should become the ‘51st state’ of the United States.

Prior to puck drop between Team USA and Finland in their opening match of the 4 Nations tournament, the public address announcer in Montreal asked fans to show respect during the playing of the national anthem. Fans inside the arena did not oblige.

The same thing occurred ahead of Team USA's 3-1 win over Team Canada on Saturday night.

While Team USA players, coaches, and fans have taken exception to Canadian fans booing the national anthem, one of Team Canada's biggest leaders doesn't like it either.

READ: USA Win Over Canada Drew Stanley-Cup Level Audience Because American Pride Is Back

Brad Marchand, a forward for Team Canada and captain of the Boston Bruins, has not liked what he's seen from fans in his home country.

"I still think in those moments with the anthem, there should not be any of that. We’re here to play a hockey game. They can boo all they want during the games. The anthems should be off-limits," Marchand explained ahead of his team's loss to the Americans. "Those should be a moment to show respect for the veterans and the millions and millions of people that sacrificed their lives so we could have freedom and the luxury to play a hockey game.

"They should not be booing the Americans during that anthem," Marchand continued. "They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on. I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right."

Team USA has already punched its ticket to the final of the tournament, and in all likelihood, it will be a rematch against the friends from the North. 

The final will be held in Boston, both anthems will be played prior to puck drop, and it will be interesting to see the reception each gets with the game being played on U.S. soil.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.